Turkey and the EU
By I think that Turkey should be part of the EU. My reasons? Asia Minor has been a critical part of the European world since ancient times, and Islamic Turkey since the 1300s. Turkey has territory on the European continent. Istanbul is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Including Turkey will expand the political and military capabilities of the EU, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that Europeans are tolerant of racial and religious differences. Turkish entry will ensure for the Europeans a stable and friendly gateway to the Middle East.
However. . .
It seems that most Europeans do not share these sentiments. Anti-Turkey attitudes seem stronger that similar misgivings about the entry of Eastern European states into the EU. Given this, it hardly makes sense to pursue seriously membership negotiations.
I suppose that a certain segment of the policy making elite in the EU believes that the general populace, which has opposed other steps toward deepening and enlarging the EU in the past, will eventually come around. In the case of Turkey, I’m skeptical, and I’m almost inclined to believe that pushing on this issue will create an anti-EU backlash at the popular level.
But, maybe they know what they’re doing.